Hogwarts: A History
by Shadowatom
Summary: In which Tom Riddle was loved, leading to a drastically different Magical Britain. AU, No Voldemort.


Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter universe, including any and all characters, locations, etc.

 _Prologue_

A gentle breeze blew through a village illuminated by a bright moon and dim streetlights. It was a relatively cool summer night, and the quaint little town of Godric's Hollow was comfortingly quiet, occasionally disturbed by a cricket's chirp or a rustling of leaves. It was nearing midnight, and most of the small village was sound asleep.

However, in a small cottage in the center of the village, one little boy was wide awake, his mind alert and attentive. You see, in less than twenty minutes, he, Harry James Potter, would be turning eleven years old. Normally, this wouldn't be a bigger deal than any other birthday, but Harry was decidedly not normal. Harry was, in fact, a wizard, like his father, his grandfather, his great grandfather, and each and every one of his great-times-infinity grandfathers (on his father's side of the family, that is. His mother's side is a different story, and a touch more complicated).

For many witches and wizards in Britain, the eleventh birthday is far more exciting than any other for one simple reason. On a witch or wizard's eleventh birthday, they receive a special letter from a place called Hogwarts. Hogwarts is, quite literally, a magical place; a wonderous, awe-inspiring, grand castle where young witches and wizards are taught magic.

Since Harry was little, he had heard many stories told by his parents and their friends about their experiences at Hogwarts, and because of that he had always dreamed of what _his_ Hogwarts experience would be like. That was why he was wide awake with twenty minutes 'til midnight on the thirtieth of July.

Harry's alertness was unintended, of course; he was simply so excited that he couldn't sleep. He tried flipping the pillow to the other side, he tried shifting positions to get more comfortable, and he even tried those relaxation exercises his mum taught him, but nothing worked. So here he was, lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

His eyes suddenly flicked to the closed door as his ears picked up the faint sound of movement. As he heard footsteps approaching, he quickly closed his eyes and moved his arms and legs to make it look like he was sound asleep. The footsteps paused in front of his door before it slowly creaked open.

Lily Potter chuckled fondly at the sight of her son, arms and legs strewn all over the bed. She decided to have a little fun with him, and quietly padded over to the bed. She leaned over Harry and spoke right above his ear.

"I know you're awake, Harry." She heard his breathing catch, and she suppressed another chuckle. He remained "asleep," desperate to keep up the act. Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he jerked away from his mother when she blew air right into his ear. He glared half-heartedly at her as she quietly giggled and rubbed his ear to get rid of the itch.

"That was unnecessary," he pouted. Lily smiled affectionately at him, and he couldn't help but smile back.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, sitting on the bed next to him. Harry blushed, but smiled even wider as he sat up, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Nope. I'm too excited," he admitted. Lily chuckled.

"You do know that the owl doesn't come at midnight, right?"

Harry frowned. "Why not?"

"Well," Lily smiled, "it would be quite rude to interrupt someone when they're sleeping."

"Oh," Harry said. He sighed lightly. "I guess that makes sense."

"You know," Lily said after a brief silence. Harry looked up to see her eyes unfocused, gazing out the window, "when I was younger, I was never able to sleep the night before my birthday. My dad would tell me that if I stayed awake past midnight, my birthday wouldn't actually come, it would be delayed until the next day." She smiled down at Harry, who grinned back sleepily, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Silly, isn't it? I took it to heart though, and I tried my hardest to fall asleep before midnight."

She looked back out the window. "When I got my Hogwarts letter, I was sitting on the couch after breakfast, reading a book. I don't even remember what book it was, but when that owl came flying through the window, I shrieked and threw the book at it." She laughed lightly, and look down at Harry, a loving smile gracing her face again. Harry was fast asleep, leaning against Lily with his mouth slightly open.

Lily carefully laid him down and pulled the covers over him, kissing him on the forehead as he shifted. She kept her footsteps quiet as she crossed the room to the door, but paused before closing it, turning her gaze back to Harry. A wave of happiness suddenly embraced her, and she started to tear up. She blinked the tears away and closed the door before she completely broke down.

Upon reentering her room, her husband, James Potter, smiled at her, which soon turned into a frown as he looked into her tear-filled eyes.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked worriedly as she got into bed and gave him a hug.

"Nothing," she sniffed, wiping her tears away. She pulled back and smiled brilliantly at him, eyes shining.

"Nothing at all."


End file.
